(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pay-program transmission/reception system that provides a pay program at a low viewing fee by inserting commercial messages into the pay program.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In addition to the existing terrestrial broadcast, various broadcasting systems using communication satellite, broadcast satellite, CATV (cable television), the Internet, etc, have emerged recently.
Particularly in the digital broadcasting system using communication satellite and broadcast satellite, and in the Internet broadcasting system using the Internet, not only conventional transmission and reception of video/audio data but also transmission and reception of an electronic program guide together with video/audio data are enabled.
The price structure of each broadcasting system varies in the following way. Like the conventional commercial broadcasting system using a terrestrial wave, some broadcasting systems are run by advertisement fees paid by advertisers for commercial messages (hereafter simply, “CMs”) inserted into programs. Other broadcasting systems are run by viewing fees collected from viewers for each channel or for each program.
Here, a viewing fee of a pay program to be collected from a viewer can be reduced by inserting CMs into the pay program. One example of techniques for inserting CMs into a pay program is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H7-203420. Also, one example of techniques for inserting CMs based on attribute information of video/audio data is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2000-13767.
However, CMs are not what viewers want to view. When a viewer comes to like a certain pay program in which CMs are inserted, therefore, he or she may wish to delete the CMs and view only the pay program.
In particular, TV drama programs and TV cartoon programs held by broadcasting stations are often in a long series, with their broadcasting time periods being long and viewing fees being high. General viewers currently have no choice but to purchase a pay program in which CMs are inserted at a viewing fee being reduced due to the CM insertion. Inevitably, these viewers are subject to viewing a large number of CMs when viewing a series of TV drama programs or a series of TV cartoon programs. A viewer may naturally wish to pay an additional viewing fee or the like, to delete CMs from his or her favorite TV drama program or the like.
To achieve this wish, the viewer has been required to newly purchase a no-CM version of the pay program after obtaining the pay program in which CMs are inserted. Not only this takes time but also this may charge the viewer with an additional communication fee if the viewer purchases the no-CM version of the pay program via the Internet.
On the other hand, deleting CMs from pay programs whose viewing fees are being reduced by inserting the CMs surely disprofits the CM advertisers as they lose the advertisement opportunities due to the CM deletion.
Further, when CMs are inserted into a pay program, scenes (video/audio data) of the pay program may be cut out for the interest of broadcasting time or for the purpose of differentiating the CM-inserted pay program from its no-CM version. If a viewer wishes to delete the CMs from such a CM-inserted pay program and still wishes to view the whole pay program including the cut scenes, the viewer is required to newly obtain the pay program of no-CM version.